ERRANT BOSSES MUST SHARE BLAME
Mr Chua Boon Hou is right about the need forstiffer penalties for errant drivers (Impose stiff penalty on errant drivers, Oct 22).
But employers are equally guilty and they, too, must be punished. If they make or allow their drivers to work beyond time officially allowed under the law, they should be penalised.
Existing labour laws can also be tweaked to make roads safer: The limit of drivers' overtime working hours - especially drivers of heavy vehicles - must not be the same as those allowed for office or factory workers.
Phillip Tan Fong Lip
MORE CAMERAS ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
A jump of 19.9 per cent in outrage of modesty cases from January to September and a 49 per cent increase in the number committed on public transport are shocking.
Buses are fitted with too few surveillance cameras to capture what is happening in a crowded bus and, from my observation, there does not seem to be any such cameras in MRT carriages.
It is time the authorities imposed some rules on the installation of more surveillance cameras to put an end to this problem.
John Wee
FOOTBALL MALAISE IN FAS
As an ardent football fan, I must echo the lament of Forum writer Chan Siang Ming on the abysmal failure of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) council and its executive management to rekindle past glories achieved in the game (FAS must address poor football results; Oct 23 ).
His suggestion on the appointment of a well-qualified national coach to cultivate expedient growth at state level should not go unheeded.
There is no correlation between good soccer coaches and them being talented footballers. The engagement of two past local soccer greats as national coaches has not produced sparkling results.
Joseph Hooi Liang Kee
EARLIER LIGHT-UP TIMES A WASTE
I cannot believe that this year's Christmas light-up will begin at 3pm, instead of the 6.30pm in the past.
LED lights may be used but with thousands of bulbs lit up, it is still a waste of energy.
The Orchard Road Business Association was quoted as saying that the move could prompt Christmas shopping earlier in the day.
What a mistaken belief.
Shoppers are very discerning. They will part with their money only when they see something they like and if it is a good bargain.
Mr Chan Teck Guan
RELOOK TIMERS AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS
A suggestion by Mr Sean Lim Wei Xin to install countdown timers at traffic lights may cause more harm than good.
Studies in Thailand some years ago, when such timers were first introduced, showed that drivers tended to speed up at the last few seconds to try and beat the red light, instead of slowing down.
This is also evident with timers installed at pedestrian crossings in Singapore as there are always some who will choose to make a dash in the dying seconds.
Approach a traffic light with caution. Comply with the signals as taught in our good driving schools and motorists will safely negotiate the traffic light junctions almost anywhere in the world.
Kanapathy Kanaayah
